Armored Core 3: Identity
by Demose Shadowlord
Summary: Three veteran Ravens fight against an entity that threatens thier lives


Armored Core 3: Identity

(This Fic is set during the Silent Line activities, just so you know.)

Chapter 1: Mercenary Spirit

"Damnit... I thought so." The tall, dark haired man slid down the cord from the core opening "The FCS is malfunctioning again... thats the LAST time a trust Crest" he looked at the label slapped on his chaingun "Maybe not the last time... " he grinned, his deep brown eyes shined from the light that seeped between the large garage doors. The seasoned man of 42 smiled in happiness at his completed hover AC "My new masterpiece... ShadowKnight!" The hover type AC is equipped with an eight hundred shot machine gun and a moonlight beam saber. The shoulders were equipped with a chaingun and a dual launch missile launcher. "Perfect. This will be the envy of all of the S Class!"

Demose completed his maintanence and proceeded to exit the garage. As soon as reached the door Demose was confronted by a young man, by the name of Threx, with wet, short blonde hair. A little shorter than Demose, but nearly as intimidating, Threx stood in Demose's path.

"Must you harrass me again Threx?"

"Of course! I heard you made a new AC eh? Got rid of 'ol Necromancer?" Threx flashed the grin of a shark

Demose was beginning be get annoyed "If you have to know, yes."

"I only hope its not as slow" Threx laughed, remaniscing on an arena battle with Demose, where he was the victor.

"Plenty faster Threx" Demose pushed Threx aside and began to walk down the corridor "I would tweak TimeLine if i were you Threx, rematch sooner or later."

Demose continued to walk down the hall to the cafeteria, ignoring the laughis that eminated from Threx.

After obtaining his desired food Demose sat down at a table with a few other people, two of which were his friends. A steadfast and tall martian by the name of Kord, He piloted the the extremely heavy AC: Talos, and a middle weight martial artist with glasses by the name of Marek who piloted the speedy GreyStreak.

"Ready for that sortie today Demose?" Marek pushed his glasses back up with his index finger

"What?! What sortie?"

"The one you took last night while you were drunk" the tall martian had a daunting voice that could make the largest of men quiver in fear.

Demose started to sweat "Oh... yea... that one..."

The two friends burst out into laughter but Kord sobered quickly "You accepted a mission from Crest in which we are supposed to enter the 20th sector of the abandon city to take down an underground operation that is said to be linked to the Silent Line."

Demose bashed his head on the table with a nice _Thunk_ noise "I vowed never to take a crest mission... oh well, how much did it pay?"

Marek shook his head "only 40K Credits"

Demose didnt lift his head, showing his painful discontent "Why? Why me..."

The trio finish off thier food and they traveled back to the garage to man thier ACs. As they walked along the floor of the garage they noticed a large bipedal AC boosting out of the garage. It was Timeline, the AC piloted by Threx. They ignored it to thier best capability and continued on to thier ACs. Demose entered ShadowKnight while the other two did some quick maintinence. Kord sat down in his cockpit and did a check "Tank Treads: Check. Demolition Beam Cannon: Check. Bazooka: Check. Howitzer: Check. Inside Napalm Launcher: Check". Marek similarily plopped down at his controls and did a quciker check "Dual Beamsabers: Check. Dual Chainguns: Check. Radar Decoys: Check." With a simple thumb scan, the flames of the boosters did a simple test run... and they were off. A deadly team off to dance with death.

The three AC's were weaving around the buildings in intricate form formulated by Marek, he was the tactition after all. No boosters were being used since it would cause a larger chance of being detected and suprise was a key element when dealing with anything that had to do with the Silent Line. The Raven team approached a clearing, a town square, from 3 sides. Demose was center with Marek to his left and Kord on his right. Kord had his bazooka at the ready position just in case anything flew out of nowhere, which all Big Whites (Silent Line AC drones) tended to do. [Krzzz] "Ready guys?" Demose says after confirming a hidden squad of 6 High-End MTs in the trees of the square. [Krzzz] "As i ever will be!" Marek had a deadly tone to his voice.. he was being very serious. Kord bowed his head in grievence for the enemy, [Krzzz] "Rest In Peace...". Demose and Marek activated their overboosts and flew at the squadrent, thier beam sabers flickering to life and burning all within thier path.

When Kord was a young Martian he saw so much killing during the great destruction that he hated to fight, but he did out of necessity. Before each battle he would say a prayer for his friends and enemies no matter if they are living or AI. Although strong and merciless in battle, Kord had a heart the size of his fist (which was gargantuan). He never wished any harm to come to anyone at ANY time making him a great person to be around with a wonderful but meek personality. He bought his Demolition cannon when he had his starting AC. He said it was to destroy enemies quick enough that they dont feel it and die in an instant. Kord met Demose during training and thier two personailties clicked instantly and Kord has been covering Demose's back since then.

[KRRRZZAAAAK!] A giant blue beam flew just past Demose's left arm and struck an MT with its beam saber extended. The MT exploded and didnt leave a trace. Demose wiped some sweat from his brow and spoke

"Thanks Kord! Careful with your shooting though" Demose laughed as he unleashed a twin missile launch on an MT trying to escape by air, it fell to the ground in glorious flames. "Have i EVER hit you friend?" Kord grined and shook his head at Demose's jokes.

"Four down! Two with beam saber, 1 with missile, and 1 with Demo cannon!" Marek said as he unleashed two beam waves at a helpless MT crippled by Demose's machine gun. The MT, needless to say, exploded from the heat and energy.

The last MT stood where it began and awaited an attack. Demose shook his head "Idiotic AI...". He boosted forward and slashed with his Moonlight only to have it parried by the enemies own beam saber "What?!" Demose boosted quickly backward and stood there a moment in awe that an MT actually did that

[Krzzz] "Heh heh heh..." A shadowy figure showed up in Demose's monitor.

Demose's eyes widened [Krzzz] "Its a manned MT! Stay cool guys!"

Kord had a forlorn face after hearing the news, he didnt wish this to happen...

[Krzzz] "Not possible! There were no life forms shown on the bioscanners!" Marek looked very distraught.

[Krzzz] "Abort your mission... " The voice seemed bland and indecipherable "Or you will pay with your lives"

The 3 AC's towered over the solitary MT making it an unfair fight. Demose had his beam saber retracted but his hand on the button. Marek had his dual chainguns out and ready to blast that thing away. Kord didnt wish harm on the MT so he made his Demo cannon ready... and with remorse, he fired and slaughtered the MT.

Chapter 2: Was It Alive?

Whistling could be heard from the chambers of AC pilot Marek as he checked his computer for any new e-mails. As fate would have it he had a full in-box. "Damnit... spam has really gotten out of hand in this day and age.. whatever happened to the 'No E-mail list' that they began in 2001? " He went though his E-mails to find something interesting and ended up deleting 99.9 percent of it... except for one... with the subject line of "Abort your mission... Or you will pay with your lives."

From: 

To: 

Subject: Abort your mission... Or you will pay with your lives

This is to one of the pilots who attacked a squadron of MTs in the inner area of the 20th sector of the abandon city. I wish to inform you that your friend was incapable of killing me. Even though he completely decimated the MT that I was piloting, he was incapable with that weak cannon of his of destroying me in my entirity. Your next mission you will be recieving is something you had better not take, for it will be against another one of my squads in the deserts of the southern D Quardrant. I also wish to inform you... that I have no part in the Silent Line... I am independent... I am living...

"Eh?" a look of extreme confusion wiped over Marek's face. "Who the hell does this guy think he is? and wait... how the hell did he survive the demolition cannon from Kord?" Marek decided to join the other in the gym to tell them of the creepy news, almost forgetting to print the E-mail before he jet.

"He isnt dead eh?" Demose was running on a treadmill, beads of sweat slowly forming after 2 hours of running.

"But I hit him dead on!" The shirtless and brutal Kord said between lifting a 600 pound dumbell.

Marek was changing into his gi behind the lockers "What i dont understand... is why he is so adamant about explaining his existance and refusing his coilation with the Silent Line."

"Interestingly enough" Demose said as he dismounted the treadmill "is that i just got a mission request for the three of us in the D quadrant desert"

It was a unanimous pause but Demose continued "Well it pays really good and i wanna see who this new foe is, so i vote K'rai (Venution for Yes)" He raised his fist into the air

That was a tradition that Marek brought into the team "K'rai aswell!" his deadly weapon of a hand was raised and balled aswell

Kord had a deep and concerned look upon his face "I have to say K'rai too... for i wish to meet this new person who threatens us" And so too was Kord's fist raised, the size of both the others combined

And so it was that the three brothers in arms raised thier fists in defiance of a new foe and an alliance of old friends. The set out that night for thier mission objective, where they would be briefed upon arrival.

Chapter 3: Abysmal Soul

An abyss of darkness surrounded a glowing blue figure as green panels of nothingness slid in the backdrop. Information flashed and dissapeared in thin air as the glowing blue man moved his hands in arcane yet modern patterns. The world the man saw before him was pure entropy yet pure order. "I must learn who they are..." The luminecent hands of the man worked furiously at the air causing panels to appear and dissapear and change shape and pictures. "I must know my enemy..." 7 panels flew infront of the man and were gone in a split second "No... not there...". A powerful thirst for knowledge fueled this appirations being, a hunger for information on the three mercinary scum that had attacked him and his squad. For but a second could be seen a large blue screen the seemed to rise from endless depths, it read "B.A.I.N. system scan complete" yet as fast as it rose, it vanished from a quick sweep of an illuminated hand.

Three pictures fell from the neverending blackness. One of a dark haired man sliding down from a cord, decending from an AC. Another of a large man with a red hue helping a child up over a fence, obviously escaping some blood shed. And the last of a blood stained young man in a torn Gi, kneeling over 20 dead bodies... no weapon in his hand and no expression on his face. "These are the three that wont leave me alone. They deny me life... and for that i shall deny them!" In an instant the three pictures vanish... yet they are stored in the figures "Mind" for archival purposes.

The swift AC was circling the encampment of AI MTs, dropping radar decoys in a circle to make it look like a full army has surrounded them. The sand was making it a bit hard to see but Marek was an accomplished pilot so it was no problem for him or GreyStreak. "Fire now Kord!" Marek yelled as Kord flicked a switch. The flaming ball decended upon the camp and exploded in a fiery inferno. Needless to say the MTs were alert but scrambling, thier AI called for a position that left them open for a sneak attack when surrounded. From the air decended Demose, his blade out and ready as he jammed it into one of the 9 MTs heads. His blade quickly left the destroyed MT and slashed two more, making them explode. Demose's gun flew up quickly as his blade died and the AI noticed the rouse. The bullets came streaming out at an extremely high rate of fire, tearing through 2 MT's that were coming his way. As usual it was Kord firing his bazooka from long distances to take down an enemy with a single shot... he managed to take down 2 that were about to do some damage to ShadowKnight. GreyStreak's boosters flared into existance and the shaded MT lived up to its name and flew at the remaining MT's like a bat out of hell. Both of his beam sabers extended furiously in a flicker of purple energy only to find thier place in the cores of the enemies. GreyStreak kneeled down and retracted the blades of his beam sabers... within seconds the two MTs he had plunged his weapons into exploded in glorious flames.

The three AC's were rummaging for parts or anything they could sell. [Krzzz] "Nothing... we butchered these guys..." Marek sounded dissapointed

[Krzzz] "Were you looking forward to finding something Marek?" Kord said light heartedly

[Krzzz] "Maybe a new generator... mine is starting to age"

[Krzzz] "Don't worry Marek" Demose interjected as he looked into the horizon "Here it comes now..."

Both Marek and Kord said "What?" at the same time... both of thier AC's turned sycroniously to look in the direction Demose was facing... A Big White was on its way....

Chapter 4: Phobia

The white biped sped across the landscape of desert toward the trio, its large blaster at its ready and the overboosts flaring behind it in a brilliant blaze of reds and yellows. [Krzzz]"Ready up men!!" Demose exclaimed as his gun was raised from Normal Mode position. [Krzzz] "Time to Die!!!" the same face as last time came up on all three's monitors, featureless and covered in blackness. The Big White looked like an AC with its height and capability, but no man has actually piloted one because the Silent Line manufactured them and used them against the government. Equipped with a large energy cannon that can fire rapid, grenade like blasts, the Big White was a force to be reckoned with.

[Krzzz] "Attack pattern Octogon!" Marek shouted, the team immediately reacted. Kord began to circle the enemy and alternate firing his howitzer and his bazooka. Demose weaved left and right and approached the target as Marek flipped the Overboost switch... which most his plans consisted of. Kords attacks were futile, the Big White was able to predict each shot and its trajectory and it was never hit. Demose's bullets connected every once in a while but it just wasnt enough... he went in for a slash. Unfortunately the Big White would have none of that and quickly boosted to the side, allowing both Marek and Demose to miss thier targets. Plan Octogon was a failure and the Big White hadnt even fired a single shot.

[Krzzz] "Attack at your own accord!" Demose overrid Marek's plan for the best of the team.

Kord cut in [Krzzz] "I cant hit him! Im backing off, I'll wait for an open shot"

Kord backed off his AC onto a dune about 200 yards from the target. Demose and Marek continued in for another slice... but, in a flash, the Big White was kneeling, his gun came up, and a burst of purple fire flew from the muzzle of the blaster. [Krzzz] "Evade! FAST!" Demose attempted to warn Marek, but it was far too late. GreyStreak had hit the ground... Demose yelled from his console and flicked the overboost switch. Time seemed to slow down as the swirl of energy built up behind ShadowKnight. The opponent knew exactly what Demose was planning... The control moved to the right for an evasive action and the gun raised, pointed to where Demose would pass by. But right as the burst forced its way out of the thrustes, Demose shifted his controls to the left, to meet with the Big White and nail it at its side. Both AC's executed thier manuevers and Demose ended up at the side of the Big White, his beam saber drawn.

The Big White realized what Demose was doing at the exact moment the beam saber was drawn and prone. It made a swift and flawless evasive maneuver right and forced the ShadowKnight to reveal his back to it. What the Big White didnt expect was the dual missiles Demose had launched right before he boosted. [BOOM! BOOM!] both missiles hit the head of the enemy and rendered it useless... The Big White fell to its knees and shortly after, onto the ground. In the cockpit of the ShadowKnight could be seen a man... beaded with sweat and ridden with fear... for the first time in many a years.

Chapter 5: Worth

The doors of the infirmary swung wide open as two men entered. A tall, dark haired man with a mission and a taller red skinned martion with determination on his face. The pair walked briskly through the halls as a doctor approached. The bald little man seemed a little scared of the duo but tried to block thier passage anyway. "Um, You two cant go back here, this is the Concussion ward" (Concussions were the most prominenet injury among AC pilots.) Demose quickly replied as they both stopped "But our friend is back there and we demand to see him." The short bald doctor shook his head "No no no... we cant let you do that, it will disturb the other patients"

"Kord?" Demose looked up to his martian buddy

Kord popped his knuckles, popped his neck, then crossed his arms. "Yes Demose?"

The doctor quickly removed himself from thier paths and they continued to trudge on. "Marek, Vega" Demose said inquizzitivly while looking at a sign in front of a room. "Must be it!" The doors open softly and the two men go to each side of the bed. "You alive Marek?" Demose said softly as the young man with shattered glasses at his side lied on the cot, a bandage around his head and some dried blood on his nose where it was busted. The broken mans eyes opened slowly "Demose? You got him?"

"I sure did Marek, I'll tell you about it when we get back to my quarters to get drunk as all hell alright?"

Marek slowly nodded his head. There was a long pause that was broken by Marek "Thank you guys... for coming to see me... last time i was in the hospital i had no one to come visit me... heh..."

Kord nodded with Demose, and in his deep martian voice said "Thats what friends are for."

Demose piped up to lighten the mood "Yea, I passed up a date with that hot nurse who's been giving you sponge baths"

Marek got a very serious look on his face "But... i saw her first..." They all burst out laughing

(This is not the end of the story, there is still much to come, thank you for reading)


End file.
